iOS Anybody seen an approved app w this layout?

[Danneman101]

Since Apple can be a bit of a stickler when it comes to what the gui should look like, Im wondering if anybody's ever seen an app with the same type of layout as this:



Basically, instead of having one back-button that only reverts the user to the previous tableview, using these buttons the user can quickly navigate much higher up in the hierachy - pretty nifty if you've got a deep level hierarchy.

 

[CyberGeek]

I've not seen any iPhone apps with that kind of history control. I don't know if Apple would reject it or not (though my guess would be that they would permit it, they've allowed some pretty crazy UIs). Apple has, however, explicitly recommended against it in the human interface guidelines:

http://developer.apple.com/iphone/l....html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40006556-CH10-SW5 (see figure 6-6)

 

[Danneman101]

Thanks for the link. Its almost what Im going for, but Im using segmented buttons (centered) instead. We'll see what happens

 

[CyberGeek]

Segmented buttons? Like the New/What's Hot/Genius buttons on the Featured tab of the App Store? You're going to use those to show levels of a single hierarchy? I suppose that's your choice, but in my opinion that's a really really bad idea. Those buttons are supposed to be used to switch between views that are "peers" to each other, independent navigation hierarchies, not different levels of the same navigation hierarchy. Changing that model will go against user expectations and lead to confusion. If you want to show the user multiple levels of the same hierarchy, I strongly suggest you use a unique control that won't have the preexisting user expectations working against you.

 

[Danneman101]

Yes, yes, and yes

I see your point, and I agree that messing with peoples preconceptions is not usually the way to go.

However, having implemented it already and tried it out I feel it is extremely intuitive - so much so that I cant understand why a similar component isnt standard.

But I also know that what's in the head of a designer are his own preconceptions about what the user finds intuitive, and I do indeed have a backup-plan in case of either a refusal from apple, or too many complaints from the users. But Im certainly willing to go with my intuition and try this out considering the advantages I perceive for my particular app.

 

[lloyddean]

Doesn't seem appropriate for the small screen of the iPhone to me.

Although Apple does use something very much like it in Xcode 4 that they call the Jump Bar.

 

[Danneman101]

Doesn't seem appropriate for the small screen of the iPhone to me.

Although Apple does use something very much like it in Xcode 4 that they call the Jump Bar.

I agree, and it will only be used in the iPad-version with split-view (on top of the tableview to the left). Sorry I was unclear about this.

Regarding the Jump Bar, I didnt get if that was an actual component you could use in your apps, or if it was merely a navigation-bar used in the xcode interface? The info seems to indicate the latter, unfortunately, because that is exactly the kinda stuff Id want

 

[lloyddean]

Regarding the Jump Bar, I didnt get if that was an actual component you could use in your apps, or if it was merely a navigation-bar used in the xcode interface? The info seems to indicate the latter, unfortunately, because that is exactly the kinda stuff Id want

My feeling is that it might not be appropriate for use on the iPad either as the device may be rotated and not come across as well in portrait mode as in landscape.

Just pointing out that Apple uses a similar "feature" in the upcoming release of Xcode.